Dridder Culture
Now largely gone, the dridder culture used to be one of the most rich, developed, and refined on the continent, second only to the elven one. It displayed an impressive artistic creativity and sophistication, as well as a lot of scientific ingenuity. The dridder society was essentially a matriarchal one, with complex hierarchies of social order. The Dridder Kingdom was aggressive and warlike, not hesitating to conquer weaker neighbors and subdue them. Dridders enjoyed stability though, and once conquered, a weaker race wouldn't necessarily get a bad deal, provided they stayed obedient. Should they dare to rise against their masters though, they would be swiftly put down, often with astonishing brutality. During the time of the Kingdom, dridders displayed their social rank very clearly through body language and their way of speaking. When speaking with another they would often compare their relative social standings and, if the other disagreed, then conflict would likely ensue, resulting most of the time in a duel. Thus, saluting another dridder as an equal when you were of a lower social status would get you in to serious trouble. Since the fall of the Kingdom and the destruction of their capital Supprozad, most dridders in Felarya have returned to a tribal lifestyle, besides some of them who cling desperately to a long gone past. Architecture Dridder architecture has, of course, varied over the long history of the race. However, certain themes and styles seem to be recurrent. Dridders have built their capital Supprozad up in a style similar to Gothic and Neo-Gothic, with towering, ornate spires and spiraling stairways with delicately sculpted banisters. Dridders are said to have even built an underground capital in this manner. They enjoy details and intricacies, with very finely carved bas-reliefs - spider webs are a favored motif - and majestic statues. Some excavations of Supprozad shows it to have been an amazingly precisely planned city, with public parks and elegant, intricate walkways. Arts Dridders considered themselves a cultured race and music was one of many pursuits they found pleasing. They focused on string instruments, with particular ones comparable to human cellos, violins, and guitars. The strings of these instruments seem to have been made of specially treated silk, the making of which was a secret. Besides the strings of instruments, dridders were very skilled tailors and seamstresses. Their clothing became more and more ornate and detailed over time as they developed more and more skill in this area. Metalworking Metalworking was also a skill that dridders developed, much faster and better than other races who relied more on magic. Dridders, as a whole, are generally are not as proficient at magic (sside from certain noble lineages) as other race and prefer fighting prowess and craftsmanship. At their peak, dridders created amazing clockwork marvels and inventions. Even today, their blacksmiths are very renowned on Felarya. Customs Matriarchy Duels Dueling was an integral part of the Dridder culture, whether it was to settle a difference, affirm one's superiority, or as a trial by combat to determine one's innocence or guilt. Dridder duels were ruthless and, most of the time, deadly. For dridders, dealing death to their opponent was as much a way to draw a final closure on a dispute, as it was to spare shame to the vanquished. Throughout the dridder history, much strife between rival clans and families, and sometimes entire wars, were resolved by a duel between the two enemy leaders. *Credits to Jaette-troll for his ideas to help develop the Dridder culture.